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Giorgos Patoulis: “On Kos island , the Hippocrates Cluster is born to make Health Tourism in Greece Development possible”

The President of Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, President of Athens Medical Association, President of International Health Tourism Center and President of Global Institute of Greek Doctors, George Patoulis, addressing the Greek and international experts and top level audience of the 2nd International Conference of Health Tourism in Kos island, the birthplace of Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, proposed the creation of a new Cluster, the Hippocrates Cluster that will merge Health units and clinics all over Greece interested to offer Health Travel services to medical and wellness tourists of the world, in order to unify their efforts on the improvement of services, quality and infrastructures to meet the standards and accreditation of the international market of Health Tourism.

"May the island of Hippocrates that hosts us today, be the starting point for maximizing partnerships, and the springboard for even greater success" George Patoulis underlined.

Greece is aiming to a 100.000 medical travelers annually, the President of Central Union of Municipalities of Greece said in his speech, emphasizing on the importance of synergies made so far between Self- Government of Greece by the municipalities of the country, the Greek and international scientific community and medical and wellness associations, and the Health Travel sector stakeholders aiming to the development and further promotion of Health Tourism in Greece .

The 2nd international conference on Health Travel in Greece which is organized and sponsored annually by the the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, is attended by opinion leaders and visionaries of Health Travel industry, experts of Medical and Wellness fields of Health Travel, members of the Greek government and Self- Government, and Greece’s key players on Health Tourism Development.

"It is our responsibility to our cultural heritage, to Greece’s history and our ancient ancestors, and to the future of this recession-hit country, the re-launching of Greece as the Mecca of Medicine, and a modern Health Travel islet, a world wide popular top Health Travel Destination for Health Tourists, Medical students and academics of the world”: George Patoulis concluded in his speech.

The Municipality of Kos, Dodecanese, is hosting and co-organizing the conference, aiming to remind to the international community the “brand name” of ​​Hippocrates, Father of Modern Medicine, as the Mayor of the island Gorge Kyritisis said in his speech. Hippocrates who studied, practiced and taught therapeutic Medicine at the Asklepieion of Kos, the temple of worship of the god Asclepius in the ancient times, healing ground for the ill and a School for the study of Medicine which Hippocrates instituted. In this sanctuary area, all doctors who attended the congress, and also presidents of Medical associations of the world, took the Hippocratic Oath on Saturday June 23 evening, in a special ceremony representing the original Hippocratic oath of antiquity .

Τhe Municipality of Kos under special cultural exchange programs and agreements with Medical schools of the Mediterranean area, Asia, and Europe, organizes student visits each year who take the Hippocrates oath on the ancient sanctuary of Asclepieion , while the Municipality continues focusing on the special field of Medical Congress Travel, the Mayor announced.

The conference participants , and the international doctors attending the conference after the Hippocratic oath ceremony at the ancient Kos Asclepieion visited the International Hippocratic Foundation, getting the chance of a tour to the very first Medical instruments exhibit and therapeutic herbs Hippocrates himself and is descendants used in antiquity . The President of the Foundation , ex minister of Dodecanese Aristotelis Pavlides , proposed in his speech at the conference that Greece should constitute the “Doctors Days” anniversary to honor its Medical history and spread the word about the historic treasures of Medicine to doctors, visitors, students and Classic studies experts of the world .